POSADAS TRADITION KEPT ALIVE IN EAST FOOTHILLS

National Hispanic University students Carla Estrada and Juan Villalobos play the part of Mary and Joseph during Las Posadas at NHU.

By Len Ramirez

Families, the faithful and students gathered at the National Hispanic University on Sunday afternoon (12/10) to take part in the Mexican holiday tradition of Las Posadas.
"We have to keep the tradition alive" said Maria F. Hernandez-Schabbing, one of the organizers who helped make this a festive, colorful display of Christmas culture.
Las Posadas is the re-enactment of the holy family's epic search for lodging in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ. 18-year-old Carla Estrada and 18-year-old Juan Villalobos, both NHU Freshmen, superbly played the part of Mary and Joseph, leading a procession of angels, musicians and Aztec dancers through the NHU quad. Tradition dictates that the procession makes stops along the way at several doorsteps where Mary and Joseph ask for shelter in song, the reply is also sung, but there is "no room at the inn", so the procession moves on. Finally, shelter is found and a song of thanksgiving is sung. In this case, the procession ended with a rendition of the Jose Feliciano Christmas classic "Feliz Navidad."
The event also included a street faire with games and prizes, and a spanish mass that featured a beautiful Ave Maria, sung by San Jose teenage recording artist Manuel Romero.